A randomized controlled trial of combined ivermectin and zinc sulfate versus combined hydroxychloroquine, darunavir/ritonavir, and zinc sulfate among adult patients with asymptomatic or mild coronavirus-19 infection
Issued Date
2022-04-01
Resource Type
ISSN
0974777X
eISSN
09748245
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85134071658
Journal Title
Journal of Global Infectious Diseases
Volume
14
Issue
2
Start Page
69
End Page
74
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Journal of Global Infectious Diseases Vol.14 No.2 (2022) , 69-74
Suggested Citation
Nimitvilai S., Suputtamongkol Y., Poolvivatchaikarn U., Rassamekulthana D., Rongkiettechakorn N., Mungaomklang A., Assanasaen S., Wongsawat E., Boonarkart C., Sawaengdee W. A randomized controlled trial of combined ivermectin and zinc sulfate versus combined hydroxychloroquine, darunavir/ritonavir, and zinc sulfate among adult patients with asymptomatic or mild coronavirus-19 infection. Journal of Global Infectious Diseases Vol.14 No.2 (2022) , 69-74. 74. doi:10.4103/jgid.jgid_281_21 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/85964
Title
A randomized controlled trial of combined ivermectin and zinc sulfate versus combined hydroxychloroquine, darunavir/ritonavir, and zinc sulfate among adult patients with asymptomatic or mild coronavirus-19 infection
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Introduction: Ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine (HQ), and darunavir/ritonavir are widely prescribed as an oral treatment for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection despite their uncertainty of clinical benefit. The objective is to determine the safety and the efficacies of two treatment regimens against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: We conducted an open-labeled, randomized, controlled trial to compare the efficacy between a 3-day course of once-daily high-dose oral ivermectin plus zinc sulfate (Group A) and a combination of HQ, darunavir/ritonavir, and zinc sulfate (HQ + antiretroviral, Group B) for 5 days in asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study period was between December 2020 and April 2021. Results: Overall, 113 patients were randomized and analyzed (57 patients in Group A and 56 patients in Group B). The median duration to achieve the virological outcome of either undetected or cycle threshold (Ct) for N gene of SARS-CoV-2 by real-time polymerase chain reaction was 6 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.3-6.7) versus 7 days (95% CI: 5.4-8.6) in Group A and Group B, respectively (P = 0.419) in the modified intention-to-treat population. All patients were discharged from hospital quarantine as planned. Two patients in Group A and one patient in Group B were considered clinically worsening and received 10 days of favipiravir treatment. There was no serious adverse event found in both groups. Conclusion: We demonstrated that both treatment regimens were safe, but both treatment regimens had no virological or clinical benefit. Based on this result and current data, there is no supporting evidence for the clinical benefit of ivermectin for coronavirus-19.